Facebook promises new fake news measures

Facebook is to step up its efforts to fight fake news by sending more suspected hoax stories to fact-checkers and publishing their findings online. Facebook has been criticised as being one of the main distribution points for fake news, which many think influenced the 2016 US presidential election. Brooke Binkowski, managing editor of fact-checking magazine Snopes, told the BBC: "I applaud their efforts to 'flood out' fake news, a method of which I have been a proponent for a long time." Mr Felle said if the firm really wanted to stop fake news, it needed to back the news industry in a better way. "If Facebook wants to help journalism it needs to put its hand in its pocket and support quality, trusted news organisations to better reach audiences, and advertisers."